St. Joseph County, Indiana: hazard risk
FEMA rates St. Joseph County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 85.8 of 100, higher than 85% of rated U.S. counties); 4 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave, hail, strong wind. Its storm record holds 946 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 96.9 | $16M |
| Hail | Relatively High | 94.2 | $2.7M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 90.7 | $2.2M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 90.5 | $7.7M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 85.4 | $28M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 83.3 | $254K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 80.4 | $750K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 79.2 | $1.5M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 65.4 | $176K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 78.3 | $1.4M |
| Landslide | Very Low | 50.3 | $1K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 43.6 | $42K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 22.2 | $9K |
| Drought | Very Low | 12.9 | $18 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 456 | 1 | $2.9M | 6th of 91 | 190th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 196 | 9 | $71K | 8th of 91 | 319th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 182 | 0 | $1.8M | 10th of 91 | 483rd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 34 | 4 | $264M | 19th of 91 | 310th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 25 | 1 | $104K | 23rd of 91 | 1160th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 23 | 1 | $8.3M | 78th of 91 | 1727th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 12 | 0 | $3.5M | 7th of 91 | 263rd of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 9 | 0 | – | 59th of 91 | 1549th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 0 | $146K | 22nd of 91 | 1169th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 2 | 1 | – | 53rd of 91 | 1938th of 3,076 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full St. Joseph County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.